


Spellbound

by GoringWriting



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Hogwarts, Awesome Gwen (Merlin), BAMF Arthur, BAMF Merlin (Merlin), Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Gwaine Being Gwaine (Merlin), Gwaine Flirts (Merlin), Hogwarts, Hurt Gwaine (Merlin), Hurt Merlin (Merlin), Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Merlin Needs a Hug (Merlin), Merlin is a Little Shit, Merlin's Neckerchief (Merlin), Other Additional Tags to Be Added, POV Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), POV Merlin (Merlin), Protective Arthur, Protective Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Protective Gwaine (Merlin), Protective Knights (Merlin), Protective Merlin, Supportive Lancelot (Merlin), Whump
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-01
Updated: 2020-12-19
Packaged: 2021-03-10 01:06:58
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,195
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27815797
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GoringWriting/pseuds/GoringWriting
Summary: Merlin doesn't know why he has to take the Hogwarts Express to a place he was already living in but Gaius insisted so here he is. Suffering the train on his way to his first year at Hogwarts and the adventures that await.
Relationships: Gwen/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Lancelot/Merlin (Merlin)
Comments: 9
Kudos: 58





	1. Chapter 1

Merlin doesn't understand why he has to be here. He already lives at Hogwarts with his Uncle Gaius. There's no reason for him to go to Kings Cross station just to ride it back to Hogwarts. But no... Gaius insisted he go here so that he might get the full Hogwarts experience.

Which is how he has ended up on the crowded platform weaving in between people as he heads for the first open door he can find, even though Gaius is right behind him telling him to slow down and savor the memories.

Merlin sighs but does pause so that Gaius can catch up to him. So far the Hogwarts Experience is way too much work.

"Merlin my boy, try to make friends. Some of my fondest memories are getting into misadventures with your mother and father. They wouldn't want you to nope around and lose what could be the greatest years of your life," Gaius says.

"What houses were they in?" Merlin asks. Gaius and them had always been dodgy when it came to details about their lives at Hogwarts.

"Your father was in Hufflepuff. Your mother was in Gryffindor. Apart they were capable of great things but together they probably could have brought the school down around our ears. They loved each other so much. And they loved you more than anything," Gaius says.

"Do...do you think they'd be proud of me?"

"Oh my boy. More than anything. You were the single best thing in their life and they would be so proud of you. Do you know how I know?"

"How?" 

"Because I am proud of you," Gaius says and Merlin smiles.

"Thanks Gaius."

The solemn silence quickly becomes too much for him, "Did I really need to come all the way here just to take the train back?" Merlin whines.

"Yes, my dear boy. The train to Hogwarts is the perfect place to start the adventure that the school year will bring," Gaius says.

"Alright Uncle Gaius. I'd better get on the train," Merlin says with a smile and gets pulled into a hug.

"Good luck," Gaius says and Merlin rushes up and onto the train and into the first year car. He's glancing around looking for an empty compartment to sit in but most of them already have one or two children sitting in them.

"Look out!" A voice says and Merlin feels himself being pulled into a compartment as the snack cart goes barreling past and through where he had been standing.

"That was close," the voice says and Merlin looks at the person holding his arm and he looks up at a smiling boy with brown eyes and dark hair.

"Thanks. I'm Merlin Emrys," Merlin says shaking hands with him.

"Lancelot Du Lac. Would you like to sit here. I don't mind. This is all rather new to me," Lancelot says.

"Are you muggle born?"

"I...I don't know? My parents aren't magical but they come from a long like of magical families," Lancelot says.

"Ah, they're squibs," Merlin says.

"Yes! That's the word the headmaster used!" Lancelot says and Merlin smiles.

"Do you know anything about the wizarding world?" Merlin asks.

"Not really, no."

"I...I could help you if you like," Merlin says.

"Thank you. I appreciate that. The only thing I know is that my parents really want me to be a Gryffindor. No matter what," Lancelot says.

"Well Gryffindors are brave. And you did just save me from being run over by a runaway snack trolley," Merlin says.

"I didn't do it because I'm brave. I did it because I didn't want someone's first experience at hogwarts to be getting run over," Lancelot says.

"No worries there. I actually live at Hogwarts with my Uncle, but he insisted that I take the train," Merlin says.

"Well I'm glad he did, otherwise I wouldn't have met you," Lancelot says.

"You never know we might have met at the sorting or may even be in the same house." 

That's a lie. Merlin knows what house he'll be in. Has known ever since his parents died. And he also knows Lance won't be in that house.

"I don't know. But even if we aren't in the same house. Promise we stay friends?" 

"Yes. Definitely. Gaius says to trust my intuition and it tells me that you are a going to be very important to me," Merlin says and watches the man blush.

"So...why do you live with your Uncle...sorry that's a bit of a personal question," Lance says with a wince.

"No...it's alright. My mother and father died three years ago at the dragon conservatory. No one knows how. I... Watched it happen but it's all a blur...I--" arms wrap around him and he realizes Lance is hugging him. 

"Shh...you don't owe me an answer and more that you want to share," he says and Merlin relaxes into his arms.

"Thanks...can we talk about something else?"

"Okay...tell me about Quidditch. I heard people talking about it but I've never seen it," Lancelot says.

"It's a dumb game people play. A bunch over people throw a ball through some hoops while dodging more balls being hit with bats at them while another person tries to catch a tiny gold ball. It's fun when you're with friends and family but people make too big a deal out of it," Merlin says. He'd seen a blonde with a redhead talking about being the youngest players on the house teams when he'd gone to Diagon Alley for his wand. It was the most prattish behavior he'd ever seen.

"It sounds fun," Lance says.

"I guess if you're into beating each other into submission for fun," Merlin says.

"What house do you think you'll get?" Lancelot asks.

"Slytherin. I already know that. Like my mother I am willing to do whatever necessary to accomplish my goals," Merlin says.

"Wow. Dedication is definitely a good trait," Lancelot says with a smile.

"Only you could see the good in such a statement," Merlin says with a smile.

"We're here!" Lancelot says as the train pulls to a stop and Merlin and he exit the train. He can see the blonde he had seen days ago talking to the red head near them and Merlin decides to ignore them.

"I'm nervous," Lancelot whispers.

"Don't be. This is where you belong. Magic chose you to develop your gifts," Merlin says as they sail across the water and a girl in another boat seems to get lost staring into the murky water.

Merlin's afraid to know what she sees.

Before he knows it they're standing in the Great Hall. Tables full of other students and the stool and hat on the dias. Merlin can see Gaius sitting at Slytherin's head and his eyes hop over the other professors. He doesn't know who is who but he knows their names are Geoffrey, Cenred, and Morgause. Along with a few new ones he doesn't know the names of.

"Welcome students to Hogwarts. You will now be sorted into your houses. I hope you are each excited to begin the year," Professor Geoffrey says and shakes out a long roll of parchment and it unfurls halfway across the floor.

He calls a few names.

"Leon Cross?" The red head who was listening but not joking with the blonde goes up and the sorting hat is put on his head. The hat seems to mull things over.

"Hmmmm unerring loyalty...but you are loyal because you are noble, not noble because you are loyal. Gryffindor!" It says and the boy goes over to the table.

"Gwen Smith?" A girl with a gentle smile goes up and sits on the stool.

"Hmmm a brilliant mind. Just like your brother. But a heart as well. A heart that yearns for connections... Hufflepuff!" The hat says and an older boy from the Ravenclaw table claps his hands for her. He must be the brother.

"Morris Sevant?" A boy goes up.

"Slytherin!" That hat wastes no time and Merlin hears booing from behind him. He turns to stare at the blond with a disgusted look on his face.

"You should be ashamed of your behavior, Prat," Merlin says and he would say more but Lancelot is gripping his arm and pulling him away.

"Damn straight mate," a boy with shoulder length brown hair says.

"Lancelot Du Lac?" Lance gulps and Merlin gives him a push towards the stairs.

"Hmmmm... Lancelot. The bravest and most noble of hearts... But why...what drives you to be brave? To willingly to anything to get your goal...ah love... loyalty. That is what guides you... Hufflepuff!" The hat says and Merlin notices Lancelot's wide fearful eyes but he goes over to the table anyway. 

Merlin takes a deep breath. 

"Merlin Emrys?" Merlin goes up onto to the stage. The hat is put on his head but it's honestly more of a formality.

"Ah yes...a deep love of his friends and loyalty to them. Brave enough to do what needs to be done and a creative planner. cunning and clever. A worthy member for any house. Just like your mother... Hmmmm but where to put you..." Merlin knows the hat is doing this just to mess with him. They both know where he belongs.

It takes five minutes for him to be sorted, "slytherin!"

Merlin notices the blonde booing and ignores him before sitting at his table.

"Arthur Pendragon!"

The blonde goes up to the hat and it's barely on his before it shouts, "Gryffindor!" The blonde sits and Merlin has a perfect view of him from his seat.

"Morgana Pendragon!" She goes up and the hat is placed on her head and Merlin can tell Arthur is boasting about how much his sister is going to fit in in Gryffindor.

"Slytherin!"

Merlin has never seen another person look so utterly destroyed before. But Arthur Pendragon looks like he swallowed a rotten egg.

Merlin loves it.


	2. Chapter 2

The girl, Morgana, weirdly looks a lot like Merlin himself. Light eyes, pale white skin and black hair. But she's far prettier than he'll ever be.

"Hi, I'm Merlin," he says and she smiles at him a tiny bit.

"Morgana. Sorry for my brother earlier. He is a pompous ass," she says and Merlin snorts a little choking on his pumpkin juice.

"It's fine. If he wants to be a prat that's fine with me. Not my concern so long as he keeps it to himself," Merlin says and he sends a wave at Lancelot who is talking to the other hufflepuff girl...Gwen.

"Friend of yours?"

"We met on the train. Promised houses wouldn't stop us from being friends," Merlin says.

"Frankly I don't get all this sorting nonsense to begin with. I mean so what if I'm ambitious? It takes bravery to go for those ambitions and you can't be clever without having wit and you can't of everything alone so you need loyalty and hardwork. I just don't see the point," Morgana says as they watch the long haired boy who had congratulated Merlin on standing up to Arthur, be sorted into Gryffindor. Merlin missed this first name but heard the last name Greene.

The last person to be sorted is a rather talk boy named Percival who is also put in Gryffindor.

Seriously what is with all these new Gryffindors?

"It's a competitive system. It creates an us vs them mindset. Or so my uncle says," Merlin says.

"I think is anyone embodied only the traits of one house they'd be rather dull and useless," Morgana says.

"You're quite right. Let me guess, your bother is pure Gryffindor?"

"No. Actually. He's incredibly loyal and he works hard for our father's approval. I can see both Gryffindor and Hufflepuff in him. Maybe even a tad bit of slytherin, whether he wants to admit it or not."

"But not Ravenclaw?" Merlin says.

"He's my brother. I'm always going to think he's an idiot," she says.

"Well he's missing out because I think Green would look lovely on him," Merlin says and Morgana starts giggling.

"I'll have to make sure to avoid his collection of groupies. They're likely to be prats as well."

"Leon's not. He's Arthur's best friend and usually keeps him from being too much of an ass," Morgana says.

"Leon's the reddish blonde right?"

"Yes. He's actually pretty decent. Though he's very reserved and you'll never know what he's thinking.

"Sounds fun," Merlin says.

He's always enjoyed a challenge.

Sooner than he'd prefer it's time to go to the dorms. Classes will begin tomorrow and Merlin hopes he has it with Lancelot. Gaius had told him they were doing something new where they had a hand full of students from each house in a class. Rather than the entire year from just two. Something about the Hufflepuffs being upset they never got to hang out with the Slytherins.

Merlin just hopes Lance will be with him, along with Morgana. 

He'd rather Arthur not be there but if he must deal with the prat he will.

He's very determined after all.


End file.
